Disclaimer: It's mine! Okay, maybe it's not mine! But I can play with it if I want to… I think?
Chapter 4
Dinner and a movie... Or four.
Three hours later Martha Rodger strolled through the front door singing show tunes, and dancing. She abruptly stopped when she saw no one home. She looked in the kitchen, and the living room, and found no one. She walked to her son's office, and found Richard and Kate still cuddled up on one of his over stuffed office chairs. She walked in to the room, and up to her son. She tapped him on the shoulder and said, "Richard, Richard get up it's almost five."
He slowly came to and looked down at Kate nestled in to his chest. He looked up at his mother confused. "It's almost five, Alexis will be home soon, and you haven't started dinner yet." she said. He looked more alert, and nodded. Martha left the room with a victorious little smile on her face.
Rick shifted slowly, and bent his head down to Kate's ear. "Kate it's time to get up. I have to start dinner." he said softly. She turned her face away from his chest and blinked. "Kate I have to go make dinner. I'm sorry to say you have to get off me " he said softly. She looked down, and figured out she was in his lap, and jumped up. Standing in front of Rick she blushed red, and mumbled an apology for falling asleep on him. "Trust me Kate if I didn't have to go cook dinner I would have sat in that chair with you all night, but I have to get in the kitchen. Why don't you come help me." he asked as he got out of the chair, and held out his hand to her. She shyly took it and he guided them to the kitchen. He started to take pots and pans out of cabinets looking for something.
"What are you looking for?" she asked confused.
"My wok. Today is Thursday so that means stir fry night. Ah ha! Found it." he pulled out a huge round pan. And set it on the cook top. "Now all we have to do is cut and peal the veggies, and cube up the meat." he started to put away the pots and pull out the vegetables.
"What can I do?" asked Kate.
"You can pull out the cutting board from under that counter, and get out some knifes from the block."
The two of them cut, and pealed for the next fifteen minutes. And just as they were cutting the last of the carrots, Alexis came in through the front door. She came around the counter and gave her dad a kiss on the cheek. "Hey dad, did you get all the trip plans finalized?"
"Yes. We are all good to go. We just have to pick up the tickets the day before we leave."
"Good." replied Alexis as she went around the counter to sit next to Kate after she gave her a hug. "So now all we have to do is pack. Are you going to need help packing dad?" she asked in a patronizing tone.
"No, I think I can handle packing my own bags. Now we have everything ready why don't you tell me what you want in your fry up, and then go get your grandmother?" he asked back in the same tone. Kate was laughing at them.
"Well I'll take chicken, and all the veggies you have and that black vinegar tie stuff." she walked up the stairs to her gram's room to find the woman in question talking on the phone. She knocked on the door frame and gave her gram a questioning look.
"I'm making an appointment at Cassandra's for a full spa treatment." said Martha
"well the food is ready so come on down." Alexis turned around to walk out but was stopped by her gram.
"Hold on. I have to tell you how I found your dad and Kate today when I came home." she said sing-songy with a big smile on her face.
"How did you find them?" Alexis asked in what she hoped was a nonchalant voice.
"Well when I came home they were asleep in one of the big overstuffed chairs in his office. Well he was sitting in the chair, and she was sitting in his lap. This whole getting them together might be easier then we thought. Now run along and tell them that I'm on the phone with Rose Charleston."
Alexis came down stairs and took her seat next to Kate. "Gram's coming but she's on the phone with Rose."
"Ah." was all Rick said as he went back to what he was cooking.
"Who's Rose?" asked Kate.
"She's one of Mother's old stage friends. She's just as dramatic as my mother." said Rick from the other side of the counter.
A minute later Martha came down and took a seat at the counter with an over the top sigh.
"Is there something wrong Martha?" asked Kate with concern. She was obviously not used to Martha's over the top way of life.
"Well I made an appointment for Cassandra's spa three weeks ago for Rose and I, and now she calls to cancel on me. I hate going to the spa by myself. It's just so uncomfortable, but I can't just cancel the appointment. There's a two week wait list for an appointment at Cassandra's. So now I have to go all by myself. Usually I would just take Alexis but she has school." said Martha in a melancholy voice. She even looked like she was going to cry.
"That's terrible, for your friend to leave you hanging like that. If it was my friend I would have threatened them with bodily harm." said Kate, thinking about Lanie, and the last time she had called Kate at the last minute to cancel on her.
Martha looked up at Kate and smiled. "Kate darling what are you doing tomorrow?"
"Nothing really." she said not understanding the change in topics but rolling with it.
"Well why don't you come with me. Cassandra's is the best spa in all of Manhattan." she asked in a pleading voice, and showed Kate just where Richard Castle got his puppy-dog eyes look from.
"I can't. It's too expensive." Kate was back pedaling from what she saw was a trap.
"Non-sense my son is picking up the tab, and he's loaded!" said Martha like it was obvious.
"But I'm already living here."
"That's right. You're living here that means your family. Right Richard?" Rick had walked in carrying two plates from the stove.
"What are we talking about?" he asked. He had lived and worked with these women long enough to know that he needed to get all the details before he made a decision.
"Rose pulled out on me for our spa visit, and I asked Kate to go in her place tomorrow. You know how I hate to go to the spa by myself. She said she couldn't because it was too expensive. Tell her she has to go." said Martha in an demanding manner.
"Well I hate to point this out but, Kate it's not that expensive, and you are living with us so you are family. If you don't want to go, because you just don't want to go that's okay. But you don't have to worry about cost." he said in a gentle tone. He knew that she had just had an emotional day. "I think you should go. It will help you to relax, and Kate you need to relax. Your all tensed up, and you were just in an explosion a few days ago. A day at a spa would help you heal up from that." he added in a helpful voice.
"There you go. So we are going to Cassandra's tomorrow. The appointment is at ten and we will get the full list of treatments. It will be great. We are going to spend all day sipping champagne and getting pampered." said hurricane Martha.
"Well okay I guess." said an unsure Kate.
"Okay, lets eat. Then what are we watching tonight pumpkin?" asked Rick.
"Well I was thinking that because there are three emotional women in the house, I figured that I would pick a few guy approved chick flicks. So tonight's choices are: Love Actually, Jerry Maguire, Something About Mary, and Better Off Dead. I have the ballots here, and as usual we will eat ice cream sundae's in the living room in front of the TV. We will watch as many of the films as we can before we all pass out." Said Alexis in a lecture voice.
"So you guys do this every Thursday?" asked Kate.
"Yep. I cook dinner and Alexis picks four movies. We pick which one goes first. Then we watch as many as we can until the last man standing. That person wakes the others up, and sends them to bed." said Rick.
After they finished dinner Rick took the plates to the sink, and Alexis handed out little slips of paper. On it were the four movie titles and a space next to it for a number. "How does this work" asked Kate.
"You put a number, 1- 4, next to the title of the movie. 1 being the one you most want to watch and 4 being the one you want to watch the least." Answered Alexis as she showed her slip to Kate. After they filled out there slips they each made a big bowl of ice cream, and sat on the couches in front of the entertainment center. Alexis stood up from her place next to Kate and went to the big TV cabinet. She opened the door and revealed a huge TV
"My god Castle how big is that thing?" asked a shocked Kate.
"65 inches. Hitachi. Plasma. 1080p. It is the God of all TV's." replied a smug Rick.
"My god. That thing must have cost as much as my whole apartment." mumbled Kate in awe of the behemoth of a TV.
"So by popular vote we are watching in this order: Love Actually, Jerry Maguire, Better Off Dead, and Something About Mary. So we start the first movie." She said with a dramatic flourish as she hits play. Everyone claps.
They watched the first movie, and everyone is still going strong. But during the second film Martha slowly drifts off in her recliner. Alexis was the next to go, she fell asleep on Kate's shoulder. This was a first for Kate. She never had someone use her as a pillow before. She had laid on someone before but she never let anyone close enough to lean on her, she liked it. Alexis was warm and when Kate moved a little Alexis shifted with her. Kate put her arm around Alexis' shoulder and ran her fingers through the girls orange hair absentmindedly. Rick noticed his daughter laying on Kate.
"Do you want me to take her up to her room? Are you uncomfortable?" he asked in a low voice.
"No it's fine. I think it's sweet that she is relaxed enough to sleep next to me. I've never been used as a pillow before, it's nice. Alexis is a great kid Castle."
"I know. I have no idea how she ended up like she did."
"Castle I don't think you give yourself enough credit when it comes to Alexis. You mentioned it before, but who raised her from diapers till now?" she asked in an encouraging voice.
"I did. The doctor cut the cord, and handed her to Meredith, and she handed her to me. She was never into raising a baby. I handled the late night feedings and the nappy changes." he said with a pride she only saw when he talked about his Baby girl as Lanie would say.
"What ever happened to your first marriage?" she asked. She wanted to know if he was the one that ended it she told her self, but the real reason she asked was to see if the tabloids were right in calling him a man-whore.
Rick got a far away look in his eyes. "It happened about six months after Alexis was born. Meredith cheated on me. I was up for a late night feeding when her co-star's car pulled up outside of our apartment building. They got out, and he walked her to the door. I remember thinking what a nice guy to walk her to the door, you know make sure she got in safe? Then he pushed her up against the door, and started kissing her. I was about to put Alexis down, and go help her when I saw the look in her eyes. It was the look she use to give me when we first started going out. It was a look of pure pleasure. I don't remember the exact wording of the conversation we had that night but I remember sitting on the couch with Alexis in my arms. I remember her telling me that it was good that I saw them so she wouldn't have to tell me. She asked for a divorce. I asked for Alexis, and she laughed in my face and said "Keep the little mutt I didn't want it in the first place" I cried for days. My life was over. I remember writing my first victim for Derrick Storm based on Meredith." he said with a smile.
"So the coked out whore of a TV star in Storm Rising was Meredith?" she was just as amused.
The movie ended and Rick hit the button to change DVD's and Better Off Dead started up. Kate's head dropped to Rick's shoulder around the time of the car rebuilding scene. Rick looked down at his watch, and saw it was almost midnight. He turned off the TV, and shifted Kate so that she would lay across the seat he just got out of. He tapped his mother on the shoulder. She awoke with a start.
"It's almost midnight mother. If you want to get a good start tomorrow then it's up to bed Mother for you." said Rick as he handed Martha out of her chair.
Rick turned to the couch and bent down to Pick up Alexis. The weight shift startled Kate out of her sleep.
"I'm the last one up so that means I get to schlep the sleeping ones up to bed. I'm just headed up to drop off Alexis on her bed. Why don't you follow me up so you don't go back to sleeping on the couch?" he asked as he turned to the stars carrying Alexis up to her room. Kate stumbled up behind him. Rick sat Alexis on her bed, and pulled back the Blanket. He tucked her in and turned to leave the room when he saw Kate standing in the door way watching him. He saw a look of caring in her eyes. He walked up to her, and took her hand. He led her out of the room, and walked her to the guest room. At the door he let go of her hand and turned to her.
"So, How did you like movie night?"
"it was fun Castle. I had a great time." she said with a small laugh.
"Good, that's the point. We've been doing movie night since Alexis was four."
Kate got a serious look on her face "I want to thank you for letting me into your movie night. Hell for letting me in to your home, and your…" she was at a loss of words.
"Family. The word your looking for is family. I'm happy to let you into my family Kate and my family is happy you're here. All of us." he said with that smug grin of his.
"I had a great night but I forgot to ask Alexis for something to sleep in. I should have went up with her to change before the movies." she said with a shrug.
"Then let me help you with that." he said in a voice full of deviousness. He took a step back and unbuttoned his blue shirt in record time. He shrugged out of it and handed it to her. She was having a hard time keeping her eyes off of his toned chest as she took the shirt from him with a mumbled "thanks". he bowed and said "Any thing for the fare Lady Beckett." He then drew close to her. Her pulse quickened and just before his lips made contact with hers he turned his head, and kissed her on the cheek. "Good night Kate. See you in the morning" he then walked off in the direction of his bedroom. She stood there in the hall for a few moments before her brain kicked back in. Her face scrunched up in a scowl as she walked in to her room and flopped onto the bed.
"I hate that man." she said to her self.
AN: rereading these chapters, I wonder how I got any readers in the first place. Thank you for putting up with the sad spelling, TBH